Cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor is a member of the G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) superfamily. The CB1 receptor is expressed in the central nervous system (CNS), lungs, liver, adipose tissue and kidneys, and has been implicated in many human diseases including obesity, diabetes, fibrosis, liver diseases, cardiovascular disease, cancer, pain, MS spasticity, and glaucoma, among others. More specifically, CB1 receptor has been shown to exhibit detrimental activity in, for example, obesity, diabetes, fibrosis, liver diseases, cardiovascular disease and cancer; and has been shown to exhibit beneficial activity in pain, MS spasticity and glaucoma, among others.
There is a need in the art for new CB1 receptor antagonists and agonists for therapeutic purposes as well as selective binders for diagnostic/imaging purposes. In particular, a CB1 receptor-targeting compound that lacks the capacity for CNS penetration would be desirable to reduce potential CNS-mediated side effects of CB1 receptor modulation, highlighted by the psychiatric adverse events associated with the CB1 inverse agonist rimonabant.